Takihiko Yakuma
Takihiko Yakuma is a young member of the Yakuma Clan. He currently resides with the rest of his clan, in their clearing. Being a member of the Yakuma Clan, and a practioner of their Yang Release Absorption Technique, he has been cursed with a short life span. He searches for a way to remove his clan's curse and will destroy anything and anyone who stands in his way to prevent him from reaching this goal. Despite this mentality, he is possesses a great deal of compassion, and refrains from using his ability on living beings, not least because of the inherent danger of doing so, as it rapidly speeds up the rate at which his curse effects him. He is a notably powerful being, having an incredibly strong affinity for his Yang Release techniques. Evidence of this is the fact that he has been practising the Yang Release Absorption Technique since he was three. He is the cousin of the chief of the Yakuma Clan, and, as such belongs to the minor nobility of the clan. He has been raised as a member of the main family since his parents were killed, shortly after he was born. Background Takihiko Yakuma was an ordinary member of the Yakuma Clan. Due to his families close relationship with the main branch of the clan, they enjoyed a fairly high quality of life. This all ended, however, on one fateful day. It was a dark and overcast day in winter and the family were in their hut. Suddenly, an assassin, later revealed to be a member of the Akiyama Clan, ran straight into their hut. The family was not his target, but he was fleeing from a previous assaination. Takihiko's father immediately rose to his feet and was about to combat the man, but before he could, the man threw a wooden projectile at the father. Fortunately, it only pierced his arm, and the rest of the clan found the cause of the commotion and swiftly dispatched the man. With the last of his energy, however, the man formed a strange sign with his hand, and the branch erupted into a forest of jagged growths. Not only was Takihiko's father killed, but his unfortunate mother, who had been tending to the man at the time, was also impaled. Left incredibly traumatised by this incident, the chief took Takihiko under his wing. Driven by hatred towards the other clans, Takihiko became incredibly proud of his clan and over time became an extremely capable combatant, fighting with the elder warriors of his clan, despite his tender age. Appearance Takihiko is a fairly tall, slim, and toned individual. He is not bulky, mostly due to the fact that although he has spent years exercising taijutsu, in the form of Judo, its teachings emphasise lack of resistance. His physique suggests someone who possesses high muscle density, rather than volume. He has dark blue eyes and dark brown hair. He wears a dark grey T-shirt, in all weathers and seasons, with a thick, dark blue hooded jacket in winter, as resistance against the cold. From the waist down he wears desert camouflage shorts that go past the knees. In winter he wears thick white trousers. Due to his lack of significant mucsle mass and fairly youthful face he is often percieved to be younger than usual, leading many to underestimate his abilities. Personality Growing up knowing that his parents were killed by members of the Akiyama Clan, Takihiko grew up with the view that anybody not from your own clan was only out for themselves. This extreme view gave him a mature attitude to life and the view that life was about survival, nothing more, nothing less. He is therefore extremely wary of everyone, and will not take unnessecery risks. Abilities Yang Release Absorption Technique This a technique that is described as being unqiue to the Yakuma Clan. It allows them to absorb the life energy of an object, or being, and then use this energy to their own will. This mostly seems to be limited to fuelling their curse, but other members with a sufficiently high level of mastery have been shown manipulating it in to a grey steam which can then be turned into various shapes and manipulated by the user. Although Yang Release does indeed represent the life energy of an object, it is far more than it seems. Even objects which have been long dead possess Yang. It is not just life energy, but the antithesis to Yin which provides an object with form. Everywhere you find Yin, you also find Yang. Each one is dependant upon the other. This is the basic underlying principle behind this technique. As one is unable of existing without the other, by absorbing one of them, Yang, the object is essentially destroyed, with the only remains being a pile of gray ashes. However, there are several factors which affect this technique. Firstly, size. An object such as a kunai or a spear can be turned to dust almost instantly. However, a wall will take longer. The indication of how close the object is to being destroyed is measured by the progress of a grey "stain" across the objects surface. Once the object is entirely grey it will be turned to ash. Secondly, the amount of Yang that an object has. A tree has very little Yang whereas a sentinent, intelligent being such as a human has a very large quantity. A human can only be turned to ash through a very long period of sustained contact. Most likely, the afflicted area will turn black and be very painful. Users with sufficient experience with this technique can turn specific parts of the body into ash, for example, an arm, which will require far less time to destroy, but the user still needs to be in direct contact with that body part. Variations This technique is not limited purely to destruction. The user can concentrate this power to parts of their body. When concentrated to the hands or arms, it gives them enhanced durability and seems to increase the user's strength. This is essentially a more deadly version of the Chakra Scalpel and functions as such. Its activation is signalled by wisps of grey steam being evolved from the arms. This technique also grants the ability to "see" Yang energy. This functions as an effective form of X-ray and night vision, as the user is able to see any living thing through walls and in the blackest night. The usage of this variation is signalled through a grey flickering light in the user's pupils. Fighting Style Judo Judo is a fighting style used mainly by the Yakuma Clan, and allows them to make full use of their Yang Release Absorption Technique in hand to hand combat. It consists of several principle parts, including throws, holds, and locks. It also involves several other parts, such as falling or moving in such a way agaianst an attack as to reduce the damage taken by it. Strikes and thrusts using the hands and feet are also a part of judo, however they are used less, given that the original use of judo was a sport, the objective of which was to throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke.